Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Round 6: Raymond James Stadium TOYOTA TRUCKSITHORIPARTS UNLIMITED A,iM U.S SUPERCROSS SERIES (Left) Nick Wey grabbed the 125cc holeshot, but this bobble while running fourth near the halfway point cost him a few more positions. Wey ended up fifth. (Below) Florida's top-placing rider In the 125cc class was Jason Thomas. He finished eighth. there tonight, and I think it came out really good a t the end." Roncada was the early leader, but Fonseca knew his teammate was riding in pain. In Roncada's earlier heat race, he crashed with another rider and injured his ankle, but he wouldn't let that stop him. Roncada came back to qualify for the main through the'lastchance qualifier, and he found himself out in front of the IS-lap feature. He led it for the first 11 laps until Fonseca got him with a daring triple-jump pass in heavy lapped traffic. "It hurts," a disappointed Roncada said of his ankle. "I don't know what's wrong with it, but I'm going to have my doctor look at it after I get back. I got a great start and was feeling pretty good, but my foot started hurting pretty badly." Still, Roncada held on to finish sec- .Briefl .. .. ' ond, crossing the finish line approximately two seconds behind Fonseca. Finishing a distant third was FMF IHonda's Brock Sellards. The Ohioan, however, was not exactly pleased with his ride despite working his way up after a mediocre start. "I got off to a really, really low start and saw them pulling away," Sellards said. '1 didn't ride to my ability. I got to third and there was nothing else I could do. I wanted to come and start with a win." Finishing fourth but well behind the leaders was Mota Planet Yamaha rider Robbie Horton, who started off in fifth. Horton crossed the finish line with room to spare over Nick Wey of the SplitFire/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team. After nailing the holeshot, Wey was upset with himself for slipping backward. "I got the start I wanted, but I let myself down," he said. Planet Honda's Jason McCormick finished sixth, followed by FMF/Honda's Tallon Vohland, who was making his way up through the pack before crashing. Rounding out the top 10 was Excel Motorsports' Jason Thomas, One Industries' Ryan Duff, and Motoworld Yamaha's Greg Schnell. HEATS Mark Burkhart put his Sports Cycle Racing Yamaha into the lead in the first heat race and quickly built up a huge cushion. The Ohioan was cruising way out in front and heading for a sure win when, on the fourth lap, his front wheel clipped the top of a double jump, ending him over the bars. He4ll:ill got up in a qualifying position but would pull off the track on the next lap. evening's prqgram by winning one of !he 125cc consolati9n races .. !n the 250cc prelimin~ries, Kawasaki Mexico/PG Ra.cing's ,Pedro Gonzalez scored a narrow win over SplitFire/Pro Circuit/Kaw'asaki's NathaJ1 Ramsey. who was making'his'debut in the 250cc class. Jnsane Terrain Racing's Ryan Terlecki breezed to victory in th'e second 250cc pr.eliminary. . . ' .One triple jump in particular 'on ihe' Ta(Tlpa track h~d many 'of the 250c,; . riders concerned going into Saturday's practice session. "I mean, these guys {many of the factory riders in generall lost sleep over it " that doesn't happ.en too often with ~hese guys." Team Honda mechanic Ron As mentioned, Nathan Ramsey was competing in the 250cc class at Wood said. "No one jumped it yesterday in practice but they were all talk- tampa. Ramsey, who is competing fuil time in' l~a Western Regional ing about it.". The jump in question featured a short .run·up, and the third '125cc Series and has won trye la~ three rounds; said of riding the 250: mound was two feel taller than the take-off jump. Jeremy McGrath "In the first practice, il felt a little weird. I just have to loosen up. I can't was. the first rider tq finally clear the jump in the first 250cc practice ses· charge real hard out there. I'm just trying to have fun." sion. Following the two piactice sessions. there were still two factory rid- . ers who had not yet attempted the jump· Jeff Emig and Larry Ward. Nei· Jeff Emig was among many who were delayed getting tG> Florida on Thursday when the airline on which he was traveling from California was ther rider attempted the jump air night. forced to return to the airport after flying thr.ough a flock of birds. As a Speaking of Ron Wood, he and his girlfriend, Holly Harmon, are now result, Emig's flight·was delayed until Friday;· thus, he missed Friday's engaged. "Holly is one of'the AMA score girls, which makes it nice practice session. because we can travel together: Wood said. "She also likes motorcycles, so I'm rea) happy. It's kind of funny, because when we get married. Primal Impulse Suzuki support rider· Brandon Jessemen, who was set her name is going to be Holly Wood. Get it?' The two plan to wed in Sep- to campaign the Eastern Regional 125cc Supercross Series, was 'a no· show at Tampa. Jesseman reaggravated an old wrist injury while practictember. . . ing, and when he went to have the wrist "",!mined, it was discovered he had a broken bone. Filling in for Jesseman on the Primal Impu.lse Suzuki While practicing just prior tei the PACE team is Robbie Skaggs. who failed to qualify for the main. Tampa Supercross, . - Ricky Cannichael crashed while practicing FMF/Honda's Danny Smith made his first appearance at the Tampa on his home track. "I was going Supercross since infuring his knee at the Budds Creek National M~ last through a· whoop section when the June. Smith qualified for the 125cc main with a fifth·place finish in the first chain came off:' Carmichael said. "I heal race. In the main event, Smith was running fourth when he crashed crashed prelty hard." Carmichael on the second lap. He was credited with a 15th-place finish. showed up at Tampa with a badly ·bruised arm. Yamaha of Troy's Emesto'Fonseca (right> won his very firs.t "uparcross 'race when he 'scored a wire·to·wire victory in the opening 125cc prelimi-nary moto heldeailier in the day at Tampa. The'young rider from Costa Rica .~as m~king. his first' major super· cross appear~rTce. as a W.o. FMF Honda's Ta.llon Vohland. came oU.t and easily Won· the second 125cc pre· liminary mota. German rider Marco Dorsch"Dieffen· qualified fa'r the 12 Faces in the crowd: Checking out the action at Tampa wa.s New York Yankees pitcher David Wells. Wells, .a former local MX racer" himself. enjoyed the show. "I grew up in the Sa')' Diegp area and went to Carlsbad . a'Iot and watched my heroes like Marty Smith and Roger DeCoster," he said. Wells hasn't ridden a dirt bike in many years, as his baseball con· tract forbids. such activity. b.ut he doe,S ·ride on -the .street on his Harley· Davidson. . Winners of the 1·900-PRO·RACE Holeshol Awards at Tampa were Kawasaki's Nick 'Wey and Ricky Cannichael.·Wey pocketed $500 for nabbing the holeshot in the 125cc main', and Carmichael received $'000 fur doing the same in the 250cc main. Wey ended up fifth in the "25 mai~ and 'Ca"!'ichael finished fourth in the 250cc main. Sellards inherited the lead with a sizable advantage and went on to win the race over McCormick, Suzuki's Jiri Dostal, FMF/Honda's Danny Smith, Horton, and F&S Suzuki's Matt Shue. One notable rider who failed to qualify was Roncada, who was involved in a firstlap get-together with a couple of other riders. Roncada got the worst of it as he limped off the track with a jammed ankle. Local favorite Paul Currie, on the F&S Suzuki, went down a couple of times, once while he was running ninth - in the final transfer spot - and as a result he was forced to ride a semi. Just like Burkhart, Fonseca came out in the second heat race and opened up a big lead, but, unlike Burhart, he kept it on two wheels and motored on to a seemingly easy win. The Costa Rican took the checkered flag well ahead of the secondplace finisher, Excel Motorsports' josh DeMuth, and Duff. Kames Sports' Mike Katin finished fourth, followed by Team Mex Cal/Stiffie's Shaun Perolio and RRP /Montgomeryville Cycle's Ty Wallace. German rider Marco Dorsch-Dieffen qualified for his first main in his first attempt, finishing seventh. Jason Thomas jumped out to an early lead in the LCQ and ran off with the win, but there was plenty of action that went on behind him. Roncada, back on the track after injuring his ankle in his heat race, came from way back to finish second, while KTM rider Kelly Smith took third. The final transfer wasn't decided until the last lap, when Vohland, who had a horrible start, slowly worked his way to the front. He eventually slid into fourth though not without the help of a couple of other riders crashing - and he took the final transfer. MAIN Wey powered his SplitFire/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki KXI25 into the lead at the start of the 125cc main but was swallowed up by the two Yamaha of Troy riders, Roncada and Fonseca. Wey came around the first lap in third, followed by FMF/Honda's Danny Smith (who ended up crashing on the first lap), Horton, Dostal, Sellards, McCormick, Thomas and Vohland. As the race progressed, Roncada and Fonseca slowly inched away from thirdplaced Wey, and then Roncada stretched aut his lead over Fonseca by a few bike lengths. While the two Yamaha of Troy riders coasted out in front, the focus of attention quickly shifted to Vohland and Sellards,

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